Electrical connector.



J. LOFGREN. ELECTRICAL coNNecroa. APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 29. 1911 JOHNLOFGBEN, OF CI'IICAGQ'ILLINOIS, AssIGNon To. RALCO MAI:UIaC'rUnINefVComm, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION or ILLINOIS..-

ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR.

To all whom/fit may Concern: .i

Be it known that I, JOHN- citizen of the United States, resid-ingl atChicago, inthe county of lCook and' State of Illinois, -have inventedcertain new and useful Improvements in Electrical Connectors, of whichthe' following ia a specificain electrical Connectors, andmoreparticul'arly to connectors of the plural-contact type wherein thecontacts are longitudinally movable into or out of engagement.

One .of the objects of the-invention is to provide a two-part` separableconnector carrying a plurality of longitudinal, slidably .'Other andfurther engaglng contacta Another .object 0i. the invention-ils to-provide such a connector in which the con-A ltacts are' mounted to'permit of a slight, floating movement, insuring free andv easy alinementof the separable contact members.

A further object of the invention is to provide a sturdy, ruggedconstructionupar# ticularly ada work.

objects will become app arent'ftothose skilled in the art from aconsideration' Vof the followingV description' and drawings wherein, y.Figure 1 is a* longitudinal sectional view of4 the improved connectorwith, Ithe con-A tacts engaged.

Fig. 2 1s a fragmentary side-elevation with parts broken away.-

Fig. 3 is a transverse, sectlon view lon the line 3-.3 of Fig. 1; and

' Fig. 4 is a transverse, sectional view oni the-line 4-4of Fig. 1. p

In large, heavy connectors such, for ex'- ample, `as are used inlocomotive work, a

sturdy,- rugged construction is essential. In

cost of production.

In large sized connectors carrying a heavy" current, end engagingcontact pieces are unsatisfactory due to corroslon and burnlng,vresulting from poor Contact surfaces. I

specification 'of Letters 'Patent'.

This invention'i relate-s: to improvements l .-duced.

ted for large, heavy service and tting the insulating blocks'members'carrie in coperating casing members. The f connector, membersarel spaced BatenteufMay 2o, 191er- Appnion med' september 29,' 19;?.Samarra-193,869. Y I' i "i have therefore rovided telescoping contact155 LOFGBEN, a x` apart a' considerable distancel and it will be i'apparent that very careful, accurate work- -inanslp and interittin ofparts,'is'essen t1al lto/insilre accurate a inement of the telescopingContact members such as is necessary 41f ya smooth working `deviceis;to.be. pro- It is to i'elimini'latek the necessity .for accurate 4-itting yand'formation ofthe 4separable connect'or parts, and to therebycheapen the expense ofproduction and increase the ease Kofseparationkorconnection, that I have loosely mounted fone oftheinsulating block ttings 'withi'n" its incasing vshell and looselymounted the contact in the other insulating block thus permitting a,floating movement of the', contacts allowing for such displacement asmay be necessary to aline the interengaging parts. y

, ,As the connector shells are held in engagement by means of a bayonetlock, I have mounted one of the contact carrying insulating blocks topermit of limited rotative displacement with respect to its shell. Thispermits relative rotation, -of the shell' parts Referring now to thespecific apparatus g'agementv with the slots 13 in the shell v10, theslots 13 opening on an axial line to the end of the shell 10 and attheir inner ends being offset as at 14 to provide the usual 95 form ofbayonetlock for holdingv the two parts in engagement.

. in locking or unlocking the bayonet joint f while the contacts are in;engagement.

. Accap '15 is screw threaded over .the oliter A end of the shell 11having'an yopening 16 at vits center to receive the current carryingwires`1`7. A rubber button 18 surrounds the wires' and is squeezedbetween. the end of, the shell.. 11 and cap 15 to weatherproof theconnection. A

yI'nembers 19 are positioned within spaced The two tubular contact apartopenings 4inan insulating block 20 securely held in position within theshell. 11 by means vof the. screws 21 which extend in the block, pins 22extending through en-` larged holes in the tubes serving to prevent thecontacts from droppingv out. At the outer end each contact carries aterminal screw 23 for connection with the ends of the wires 17.

In the shell 10 of the connector, I have positioned a second insulatingblock 24 which is of a diameter somewhat less than the inner diameter ofthe shell so as to leave a space 25 around the block to permit slightradial displacement or floating movement of the block with respect toitscasing. The

block 24 carries a pair of split Contact members 26 which are spacedapart a distance approximately equal to the distance between theopposing contacts 19 and are securely held in place in the block bymeans of the pins 27. Contact screws 28 take into the outer ends of thecontacts 26 -for engagement` with the wires 29 which extend through .theopening 30 in the outer end of ythe shell 10.

A coil spring 31 positioned in the base of the shell 10 engages the rearend of the block 24 and tends to press the same outwardly toward theo'pposite connector. Outward movement of the plug under the influence ofthe spring is prevented beyond a certain point by means of the screws 32which extend radially inwardly through the shell 10 into engagement withaxially extending slots 33 formed at opposite sides of the wall of theblock. These slots 33 terminate at their inner ends in the shoulders 34which engage the screws 32. The slots are formed not only with an axialdimension but also extend in an arcuate form through an angle suliicientto ermit the relative movement of the block with respect to its casing,when the bayonet lock formed by the slots 13 and pins 12, is engaged orreleased.

The outwardly extending ends of the split contacts 26 are taperedsomewhat so as to insure their alinement with the coperating,

tubular contacts 19 when the two parts of the plug are brought together.

Withthe above construction, it will be apparent that the parts may beeasily assembled without careful fitting and adjust-- ment, and asmooth, easy engagement of the contact members will at all times beinsured because of the freedom of the block 24 to float within itsincasing shell 10 and the loose mounting vof contacts 19 within theirinsulating block. It will also be evi dent that in a heavy, large-sizedconnector of this character, unnecessary wear and unevennessV of actioninherent in connectors wherein the contacts are held rigidly inposition, will be eliminated. By permitting limited movement of thecontact carrying members, free and easy working alinement of the slidingcontact parts is insured.

Whereas I have illustrated and described but a single embodiment of myinvention, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that manychanges and modifications may be made therein, without departing fromthe spirit of the invention or the scope of the appended claim.

Having described my invention, what I claim is A two part separableconnector comprising two interengaging members; one member providing acylindrical shell open at one end; an insulating block having limitedaxial and rotatable movement therein; means to limit the axial androtatable movement of said block; a spring in said yshell to yieldinglyhold the block near the open end of the shell; a pair of electricterminals carried by the block and movable therewith; in combinationwith another member providing a cylindrical shell telescopicallyengaging the shell of the rst mentioned member; an insulating blockfixed in the shell of the second mentioned member; a pair of electricterminals carried by the said block telescopically engaging theterminals of the first mentioned member and a coperative bayonet jointto lock the members together.

In testimony whereof I hereunto set my hand.

JOI-IN LOFGREN.

